


Unbelievable

by MondayGirl



Series: Boys, Bats and Building a family [2]
Category: Batman (Comics)
Genre: Backstory, Families of Choice, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-01-19
Updated: 2013-08-13
Packaged: 2017-11-26 02:48:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/645706
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MondayGirl/pseuds/MondayGirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Just a little snippet of Jason’s origin story borrowing heavily from the comic version pre 52. This is set before Misunderstandings, clichés and feuding billionaires.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Unbelievable

**Author's Note:**

> This is set before Misunderstandings, clichés and feuding billionaires and is in that au although it’s not really that au yet. Tell me what you think. Just a little snippet of Jason’s origin story borrowing heavily from the comic version pre 52, some of the dialogue is taken from that.

“Unbelievable”, Batman had returned to where he had stashed the car to find the bat mobile missing three tires. Some lowlife had actually had the balls to take his tires. His first reaction was anger and indignation that someone would dare do this to him. However this was closely followed by an overwhelming sense of hilarity, for the first time the Batman laughed in crime alley, not a sardonic chuckle or wry twist of his lips but an actual laugh. After composing himself Batman bent to assess the damage done to the car, preparing to call it in to Alfred. He heard footsteps approaching, the thief returning to finish the job he supposed.

He stood to his full height an imposing figure cloaked halfway in shadow; he was caught off guard however when the returning thief carrying the tire iron loosely at his side was not some villains goon acting on a bet or one of his usual bust getting cocky. The tire thief was a kid, a scrawny one at that. He couldn’t have been more than eleven or twelve at the most. Expecting a shriek or at the very least some attempt to deny his involvement, Batman was again temporarily stumped when the kid just turned tail and ran. After whacking him with the crowbar that is.

“Oops”, that was all Jason got out before he spun around and ran away as fast as he could. No way was he letting the bat drag him off to juvie. He still had the other three tires so it wasn’t such a big loss to lose out on the fourth. He heard the bat following him but he ducked into different alleyways and cut through an abandoned building to throw him off. When he finally neared his own building he looked back over his shoulder to ensure he had indeed lost Batman, he had and so he climbed the fire escape to his apartment. He had found it a little over six months ago and although it was still freezing at night and had damp on some of the walls it was a vast improvement from sleeping on cardboard in trash filled alleyways. He had a mattress to sleep on which he had found in the alley outside the building and there were only a few other squatters in whole place and none of them ever bothered him so he was pretty happy with his current situation. Not to mention the three bat car tires now stacked by his mattress waiting to be sold on so Jason could by some real food for a change and maybe a coat since it was starting to get even colder now November had come around. He thumped down on his bed and pulled out the crumpled carton of cigarettes, lighting up one and inhaling deeply he closed his eyes to enjoy the sensation. 

“You live here kid?” Jason jumped dropping his cigarette and burning a hole in his mattress, he put out the glowing embers with his hands before anymore damage could be done. He tried to keep his voice from wavering, he really didn’t want the bat to know how close he actually was to pissing himself right at this minute with the guy’s creepy white eyes staring at him as he leaned up against the doorway into his room as casual as if he visited the squats of preteen homeless kids every day. 

“Yeah. What’s it to you?” good he thought, his voice sounded strong a little belligerent even.

Batman looked around the hovel the kid was apparently living in; he took in the moulding walls, the bare stained mattress with one ratty blanket on it, and the poster partially covering a crack in the wall. He looked back to the obviously scared kid, God he looked so much like Dick at that age, only angrier with harder eyes and a defiant tilt to his chin daring the older man to malign his living space. “Where are your parents son?” the boy shrugged crossing his arms.

“Dead.” Was all the reply he got, he prodded a bit more his stomach flipping a little as it had a few years before when an eight year old boy had watched his parents fall to their death. 

“Who looks after you then?”, as if it wasn’t obvious to anyone that no one had looked after this boy in a very long time. The kid seemed to flair to life in that minute jumping forward a little indignation written on his thin face. 

“Jason Todd takes care of himself!” he almost laughed as the boy – Jason Todd – answered his next question before he had even asked it, thumbing himself in the chest. He could tell Jason was mentally cursing himself for revealing this as his face fell after making the statement. 

They stood and stared at each other in silence for a while before Batman broke it. “You hungry kid?” the boy shook his head but the rumbling of his stomach at the mention of hunger answered more truthfully. The batman chuckled lowly causing heat to rise to Jason’s face. “I’ll tell you what ‘Jason Todd’ you come with me and put those tires that you stole back on my car and I’ll make sure you eat tonight.” 

The boy considered this then sensing that he would end up putting to the tires back whether he agreed to or not he sighed and picked them up, looping one on each arm and holding the third with his free hands. Sure, they were heavy but he wasn’t making three trips there and back with the Bat looming over him. 

Jason finished screwing the last tyre on and stood looking up at the Batman. “So is this the part where you drag me to the police and I get put in juvie?” he was surprised when the dark figure shook his head.

“No Jason, I think I know exactly where to take you. After I find us a place to get some dinner.” Two chilli dogs and a ride in the freaking bat car later Jason was stood on the doorstep of Ma Gunn’s school for boys with Batman by his side. It rankled him to be forced into this situation; he didn’t want to live at this place which was obviously an orphanage despite its name. He wasn’t little orphan Annie he was Jason Peter Todd and he could take care of himself fuck you very much. But, if the Bat was ok leaving him here it must be a good place, right? 

****

So as it turned out, Batman’s judgement? Not so good. Ma Gunn was apparently a criminal and trained the young boys in her care to follow in her path. Jason had run away at the first talk of a heist he didn’t want to learn to be a criminal he just did what it took to survive. Batman had found him again, of course he would. He didn’t believe him at first but he went to the museum and caught her and the boys in the act. And Jason had helped, he had actually helped Batman, and what would his dad say if he was still here he thought. Nothing good probably. The night ended with him taking another ride in the Bat car.

“Y’know if you turn me over to the social workers the chances of someone my age gettin’ a decent home is pretty slim.” Said Jason, trying to persuade the man to just drop him on a corner somewhere. 

“Don’t bet on it...Robin.”

“Robin?” Jason didn’t even try to hide his grin, “Robin”.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Its been ages since an update on anything as I have just returned from traveling for five weeks but now I'm back I will try to update everything as soon as possible :) 
> 
> Also I have just joined tumblr as MondayGirl92.tumblr.com followers would be appreciated as I am brand new and followerless lol :)

Jason tried not to look too impressed as they pulled into the cave. Although the secret entrance and giant penny made that difficult. “Holy shit, how do you pay for all this stuff” he exclaimed as he followed Batman towards the large computer setup. “You must be pretty rich to keep all this goin’ huh?” he laughed as he continued, “you Bruce Wayne or something? Haha can you imagi-“ 

Batman stiffened mid step as he walked in front of the boy not daring to turn to look at him. Had the boy already known? No, it was impossible. Well, if he was really doing this – taking the boy in – then he would find out his identity soon enough anyway. He was about turn and take off the cowl, revealing that the boy was right when Jason began cackling behind him. “Fuck! You are, Jesus, Bruce Wayne is the guy runnin’ around Gotham in tights makin’ everyone piss themselves.” Bruce sighed as he pushed back the cowl turning to face the laughing boy.

“Yes, and watch your language. Just wait here while I change an-“Jason interrupted.

“Wait, wait! Does this mean I get to live in your mansion!” He seemed to think better of that question and quickly carried on. “I don’t have to though, I could uh... I could live here in the cave that would be, pretty cool too, I'm not scared of the bats or anything y'know.”

Bruce looked at the boy, did he really think he would make him live in the cave? “Of course you can live in the mansion.” Bruce found his own mouth twitching into a smile at the grin the boy gave him. Before he could say anything else footsteps echoed on the stone steps leading to the main cave area. A look over his shoulder confirmed that it was Dick descending the stairs. Bruce scrubbed a hand through his short hair and tried to give a reassuring smile to the young boy in the tattered red hoodie stood before him. Jason didn’t look particularly reassured, if anything, he looked more apprehensive as he saw who was joining them. 

As he descended the stairs Dick schooled his expression into what he hoped was one of mild curiosity. He briefly wondered if he should return to the main house as he was dressed in his civilian attire but, seeing that Bruce had the cowl pushed back he continued towards his mentor and the scruffy child with him. Bruce turned to face him blocking the boy slightly. "B? What's going on? who's the kid?"

Bruce made the necessary introductions assuring Dick in a low voice that he would explain later before asking him to show Jason to the bedroom next to his. Jason shot him a worried look, "I just thought you'd like to clean up before dinner." At the mention of a meal the younger boy perked up immediately, Bruce was glad that Jason didn't argue about cleaning up. It was obvious from the smell that as well as teaching her students the finer criminal arts Ma also didn't encourage personal hygiene, for Jason anyway. He supposed that if he had been squatting in an abandoned building in crime alley for God knows how long he would smell too. He gave both boys a smile before shooing them upstairs instructing the older boy to find some clothes for Jason and introduce him to Alfred.

Jason followed the perky older boy up the stairs and through what appeared to be a door but turned out to be a big clock. Which was pretty awesome if he was honest. He tried to school his face into something less impressed as he looked around the large foyer on the other side of the clock. The other boy, Dick noticed that Jason had stopped and turned giving him a bright smile. "It's amazing right? I couldn't believe it the first time I saw it." he gave Jason a considering look, "It can seem pretty intimidating at first, the big rooms and all the expensive stuff. You'll get used to it though, the place feels practically cosy now". Jason just shrugged he didn't want the older boy to know just how right he was, this place was a million miles away from crime alley and he wasn't so sure a street rat like him belonged there.

The clothes Dick gave him were a little big on Jason's scrawny frame but they were soft and warm and clean. Which was, Jason determined, the best feeling ever. The room the older boy had left him in was larger than the hole Jason had been living in for more than a year. Although he had accepted the clothes and the chance to take a shower he balked when Dick suggested he leave his clothes outside the room when he changed so some guy called Alfred could throw them away. Dick finally gave in after a continually heated argument, Jason was not letting these people disappear his clothes. Wayne might be the Batman but Jason wasn't so naive as to let them trick him into losing his own clothes. He didn't own much but he kept what he did have close. After the shower Jason felt amazing, he hadn't been this clean in months and the bad smell that had been following him for weeks seemed to have gone and been replaced with fresh lemon scent from the shower gel. 

Jason couldn't quite remember which way Dick had taken to get to his room but the smell of food was wafting along the hallway and he figured that if he followed that he would eventually find the dining room. Who needed a whole room just for eating in anyway? When he found the room Wayne was sat at the head of a long table with Dick to his right. A dignified older man was dishing up food from large platters at the sideboard. Jason's mouth watered at the light and he felt a growing rumbling in his stomach. Wayne turned hearing his approach and gave him a smile gesturing for Jason to take the seat on his left opposite Dick. The older man was introduced as Alfred, the freaking butler. The old man greeted Jason politely as he filled his plate with steaming mashed potatoes, vegetables, chicken and gravy. He did however raise an eyebrow when he caught sight of the smelly bundle of clothes the boy clutched on his lap.


End file.
